Charge Controllers & Inverters

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Charge Controllers are a ''simple'' safety device that prevent your solar panel from overcharging your battery. The charge controller monitors the battery voltage and regulates the charging current from the solar panel/s. It will also prevent current draining away from the batteries and back to the panels during the night.

When making your selection, please ensure that your solar system will not exceed the maximum current specification of the charge controller. Check the maximum load in the product specifications for the charge controller and also the power output of your solar panel in order to calculate requirements.

For example:

If you have 3 x 30W panels (3 x 30W = 90W) connected to a 12v Battery/Batteries, the 7A charge controller below with a maximum load of 105W will be fine. But when using more than 105 Watts of solar power, and/or have a 24v system you will need a charge controller that is designed to handle more power.

 

Inverters are devices that change a low voltage power supply, such as from your 12v or 24v DC leisure battery, into mains power (240v AC) that can then power anything from microwave ovens to computers. Inverters are often used on boats and recreational vehicles such as Winnebago’s, or to provide a mains power supply in remote areas. Overseas travellers will often find that a campsite or marina has a low amperage mains power supply; in this case an inverter will enable the use of battery power to keep their high current appliances working, without the fear of tripping the mains supply.

Modified Sine Wave (MSW) and True Sine Wave (TSW) are the two main types of inverters. TSW Inverters are usually more expensive and can power virtually any 240v appliance. A TSW Inverter can produce power that will often have fewer surges and spikes than mains power from the grid. This very high quality power supply may be required when using your Inverter to run for example, high quality audio equipment or perhaps fluorescent lighting that can sometimes be subject to interference caused by MSW Inverters.

Although MSW Inverters are usually cheaper and don't produce such 'clean' power; they are still more than adequate for the vast majority of electrical appliances and you can happily run most DVD players, videos, televisions, fax machines, lap-top computers, power tools, lights, fridges, freezers, microwaves etc. without cause for concern. For very sensitive equipment however, due to the risk of damage caused by the slight interference 'modified sine wave' (MSW) power can generate, we would recommend using a TSW Inverter.